The Sasuke Retsuden arc, adapted from the light novel by Masashi Kishimoto and Jun Esaka, concludes with Boruto episode 286. Fans will get to see how Sasuke restores order to the Redaku after the mayhem caused by the director of the Tartar Observatory before the anime reaches the Code arc. Zansul unleashed a horde of dragon creatures on the inmates in the previous episode. Because of its potential military use, their usage has to be curtailed. Since Sakura is presently unable to provide a hand, Sasuke must shoulder the burden alone. He will, however, have company. Sasuke and Sakura’s triumph in Redaku marks the conclusion of the Sasuke Retsuden storyline, which began in Boruto episode 264.
Having Meno on his side, Sasuke is able to succeed
The opening of Boruto episode 286 has Sasuke slashing at the dragons with his katana. Meno comes in to help and together they kill off many of the flying monsters. As soon as they reach the Observatory, Sasuke gives Meno orders to help the convicts get out while he looks for Sakura.
Sasuke comes to Sakura’s aid
As Sasuke reaches the Tartar Observatory complex via the breach in the wall, he takes note of the disarray he finds inside. He turns on his Sharingan and tries to pick up on Sakura’s chakra but is ultimately unsuccessful. Then, he becomes frantic and starts calling for her.
While all is going on, Sakura is buried alive under the rubble of a building that has collapsed. Having not yet recovered from the poison’s effects, she is unable to move the rocks and release herself. Because of this, she becomes unconscious. Over time, she recovers consciousness in Sasuke’s care, and he tends to her wounds.
Concocted by Jiji and Zansul
Meanwhile, Zansul is overjoyed in Boruto episode 286 as he and Jiji successfully gather an army of dragon creatures. Before he joins the Redaku Prime Minister, he plans to execute every prisoner. Jiji brings up the pledge, to which the Director promises he will return when Nanara’s uprising has been put down. Next, Jiji sends a dragon creature towards Ganno, but Meno stops it. Zansul, however, is unconcerned, reasoning that the size of his dragon beast army is sufficient to withstand the loss of even a single Meno.
For attention of Sasuke
While Sasuke and Sakura fight off swarms of Dragon monsters, Meno goes for Zansul. In the nick of time, though, a dragon creature flies in and rescues him. Sasuke learns that the Prime Minister of Redaku has been arrested by Nanara, the new monarch, through a messenger hawk who appears to have come from Kakashi, who is responsible for this dispute. Zansul is taken aback at first, but he quickly summons the Ultra Particles in the hopes that he may grow his army of unstoppable dragon beasts and keep the conflict going.
It’s Sakura vs. Jiji!
Jiji chases Sakura as she makes another hole in the wall of the Tartar Observatory in Boruto episode 286. He intends to murder her while she is defenceless; the antidote serum she drank was meant to disable her for a short time. The problem is that he walks right into her trap and is rendered helpless.
It’s over for Zansul
Sasuke had already warned Zansul against repeatedly issuing commands to the dragon creatures, as he had not been responsible for their summoning. Later on, when the Director decides he must murder Sasuke since he continues turning up in unexpected locations, he gives a series of instructions that ultimately result in the dragon beast holding Sasuke aloft being forced to drop him to the ground. Being a normal person, he perishes in the collision.
Narrative of Jiji
Although Sasuke has decided to turn over Jiji to the Redaku, he first wants to know why Jiji decided to side with Zansul. Jiji reveals that he is a renegade ninja from the Hidden Sand who came to Redaku to help the prime minister form a private army. There, he fell in love with Margo, who worked as his personal assistant, but she perished in the pandemic. He agreed to help revive the dragon creatures in exchange for the promise of Margo’s body.
Sakura tells him that she would have wanted to act similarly if she had lost someone close to her, but that her friends would have talked her out of it.
On top of that, she knows without a doubt that Margo would have declined a revival if given the chance. Next, Sasuke reveals to Jiji that, contrary to what the Prime Minister claimed, Margo is really still alive and was instrumental in Nanara’s rise to power. Jiji then let loose all kinds of dragons, Meno included. One of them tries to assault Sakura before the procedure is complete, but Jiji stops him.
There have been no hiccups
The next episode of Boruto, #286, reveals that Naruto has been cured by the Ultra Particles and expresses his appreciation to Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi. The ring catches Ino’s eye when she runs into Sakura. Sakura reflects on how Sasuke tracked her down under the debris using the ring years later. She keeps the ring in her luggage since she values it so highly and is afraid of losing it. Meanwhile, Nananara is seen to be eager to rebuild the Tartar Observatory with the help of Jiji and Margo. The episode closes by going back to the current day, while the entire plot was told in flashback. Sasuke has no idea when his mission will conclude, yet he and Sakura, separated by great distances, both look up at the sky and think about how they don’t mind being apart.
Highlights from Boruto 285 in brief
Viewers witnessed Sasuke and Sakura read the Map of the Heavens and rescue the Ultra Particles from the lake where the meteor had landed in the previous episode. Zansul’s use of Reanimation to resurrect the dragon creatures, however, introduced a new layer of complexity. Sasuke discovered Zansul while looking into the whereabouts of the dragon monsters and learned that they were bioweapons created to aid Redaku’s Prime Minister.
While that was happening, Sakura headed to the Observatory to aid the convicts in evading the dragons. After that, she ran into Jiji, who poisoned her kunai, stole the Ultra Particles, and then abandoned her as the Observatory crumbled.